Dog owners urged to keep their pets on leads after terrier attacks sheep

Sophie Wills

Police are urging owners to keep their dogs on leads when walking through farmland following complaints of sheep worrying in the High Peak.

This follows reports of dog owners not having their pets under control and causing distress by chasing sheep and cattle, in some cases the sheep have been injured.

A recent incident took place sometime between 7.30pm and 11pm on Monday, March 13, whereby a Peak Forest farmer reported a small dog, possibly a terrier, had attacked one of his sheep.

PCSO Pat Findlay-Wilson, from the area’s Safer Neighbourhood team, said: “This incident highlights how dog owners need to be more considerate and keep their dogs on a lead when walking through farmland where animals are kept.

“A dog’s natural instinct is to chase something that runs away so we are urging owners to be responsible and mindful of this by keeping their animals under control.

“Lambing season is in process so we are urging all dog owners to act responsibly and keep their pets under control.”

Section one of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 makes it an offence for the owners of a dog to allow it to worry livestock on agricultural land.

Worrying livestock includes attacking livestock, chasing livestock in a way that may cause injury and suffering or in the case of females, abortion, along with being at large in a field or enclosure where there are sheep.

For more information, or to speak to your local policing team, call 101.